Ezra 4
1 The enemies of the people of [the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin heard that the [Israeli] people who had returned from Babylonia were rebuilding a temple for Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped].
Mgbe ndị iro Juda na Benjamin nụrụ na ndị ahụ a dọtara nʼagha alọtala, nụkwa na ha na-ewugharị ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel,
2 So they went to Zerubbabel [the governor] and the other leaders, and said [deceptively], “We want to help [you build the temple], because we worship that same God whom you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon, the King of Assyria, brought us here.”
ha bịakwutere Zerubabel na ndịisi ezinaụlọ sị ha, “Kwerenụ ka anyị nyere unu aka nʼọrụ iwu ụlọ a, nʼihi na anyị hụrụ Chineke unu nʼanya dịka unu onwe unu si hụ ya nʼanya. Lee na kemgbe Isahadon eze Asịrịa butere anyị nʼebe a, anyị alabeghị azụ ịchụrụ ya aja.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other [Israeli] leaders replied, “We will not allow you to help us build a temple for our(exc) God. We will build it (ourselves/without your help) for Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, like Cyrus, the King of Persia, told us to do.”
Ma Zerubabel, na Jeshua na ndịisi ọzọ zara sị ha, “Unu enweghị oke ọbụla nʼọrụ iwuru Chineke anyị ụlọnsọ. Naanị ndị anyị ga-ewuru Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel ụlọ ukwu a dịka Sairọs eze Peshịa nyere nʼiwu.”
4 Then the people who had been living in that land [before the Israelis returned] tried to cause the Jews to become discouraged and become afraid, and to cause them to stop building the temple.
Ya mere ndị niile nọ ha gburugburu malitere ime ihe ga-ewetara ndị Juda ịda mba nʼobi, na ihe ga-eme ka ụjọ tụọ ha ịga nʼihu nʼọrụ iwu ụlọ ahụ.
5 They bribed government officials to oppose what the Israelis were doing [and prevent them from continuing to work on the temple]. They did that all during the time that Cyrus was King of Persia. They continued to do it when Darius became the King of Persia.
Ha ji ngarị gota ụfọdụ ndịisi ka ha megide ha, mebikwaa atụmatụ ha niile nʼoge niile Sairọs bụ eze Peshịa, ruokwa nʼoge Daraiọs ghọrọ eze ọhụrụ Peshịa.
6 During the first year that [Darius’ son] Xerxes was king, the [enemies of the Jews] wrote a note [to the king] saying that the Jews [were planning to rebel against the government].
Na mmalite ọchịchị Sekses, ha deere ya akwụkwọ ebubo megide ndị Juda na Jerusalem.
7 Later, when [Xerxes’ son] Artaxerxes [became the King of Persia], Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their colleagues/companions wrote a letter to him. They wrote the letter in the Aramaic language, and it was translated [into another language that the king knew].
Nʼụbọchị niile ahụ Ataksekses bụ eze ndị Peshịa, ka Bishlam, na Mitredat, na Tabeel, na ndị otu ya fọdụrụ degaara Ataksekses akwụkwọ. E dere akwụkwọ ozi ahụ nʼodide akwụkwọ ndị Aramaik, a sụgharịkwara ya nʼasụsụ Aramaik.
8 Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
Ndị ọzọ soro ha gbaa ajọ izu a bụ Rehum onyeisi ọchịchị, na Shimshai ode akwụkwọ. Ha deere Ataksekses akwụkwọ megide ndị Jerusalem sị ya:
9 They stated that the letter was from Rehum the high commissioner/governor and Shimshai the provincial secretary and from their associates, the judges, and other government officials, who were from Erech [city], Babylon [city], and Susa [city] in Elam [district].
“Akwụkwọ ozi a si nʼaka Rehum, onyeisi agha na Shimshai ode akwụkwọ, na ndị otu anyị ndị ọzọ, na ndị ikpe, na ndịisi obodo na-elekọta ndị ahụ niile si Tripolis, na Peshịa, na Erek, na Babilọn, na Susa nke dị nʼElam,
10 [They also wrote that they represented] the other people-groups whom [the army of] the great and glorious/famous [King] Ashurbanipal had (deported/forced to move from their homes) and taken to live in Samaria and in other cities in the province west of the Euphrates [River].
na ọtụtụ ndị ọzọ ahụ onye ukwu ahụ na onye a na-asọpụrụ bụ Ashobanipal si nʼala ha bupụ bute na Sameria, na obodo ndị ọzọ dị nʼọdịda anyanwụ Yufretis.”
11 This is what they wrote in the letter: “To King Artaxerxes, From the officials who serve you who live in the province west of the Euphrates [River.]
Nke a bụ ihe ha dere nʼakwụkwọ ha zigaara Eze Ataksekses. Ọ bụ gị, eze ukwu Ataksekses, ka ndị ohu gị bi nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ Yufretis na-edetara akwụkwọ a.
12 “Your majesty, we want you to know that the Jews who came here from your territories are rebuilding this city, [Jerusalem]. These people are wicked and want to rebel against you. Now they are repairing the foundations [of the walls/buildings] and building the walls [of the city].
Nke a bụ ime ka ị mata na ndị Juu si Babilọn lọta Jerusalem ọhụrụ a ebidola iwughachi obodo ọjọọ nke nnupu isi ahụ. Ha ewuolarị mgbidi ya, tọkwaa ntọala ya.
13 “It is important for you to know that if they rebuild the city and finish building the walls, they will stop paying any kind of taxes. As a result, there will be less money in your treasury.
Anyị chọrọ ka o doo gị anya na ọ bụrụ na ha ewuchaa ya, ọ ga-abụ nsogbu nye alaeze gị, nʼihi na ndị Juu agaghị ekwekwa ịtụrụ gị ụtụ isi ha.
14 Now, because we are loyal to [IDM] you, and because we do not want you to be humiliated [IDM], we are sending this information to you.
Ebe anyị na-asọpụrụ gị dịka nna anyị ukwu, anyị achọghị ka ihe ọjọọ mee nʼalaeze gị, ya mere anyị ji kpebie idere gị akwụkwọ a.
15 And, we suggest that you order/tell [your officials] to search the records that your ancestors made/wrote. [If you do that], you will find out that the people in this city have always rebelled [against the government]. You will also find out that from long ago these people have caused trouble for kings and for rulers of provinces. They have always revolted [against those who ruled them]. That is the reason that this city was destroyed [by the Babylonian army].
Anyị chọrọ ka i leba anya nʼakwụkwọ akụkọ nke mgbe ochie, ka ị chọpụta na ọ dịghị mgbe Jerusalem na-ejighị bụrụ obodo nnupu isi. Nʼezie, ọ bụ nʼihi nnupu isi a na nkwulu nke ha na-ekwulu ndị eze dị iche iche, ka e ji bibie ya na mbụ.
16 We want you to know that if they rebuild this city and finish building its walls, you will no longer be able to control/rule [the people in] this province west of the Euphrates [River].”
Anyị chọrọ ka ị mata na ọ bụrụ na e wuchaa mgbidi obodo a, ọ ga-esi ike ka akụkụ alaeze gị a, nke dị ruo nʼosimiri Yufretis, bụrụkwa nke gị ọzọ.
17 [After] the king [read this letter, he] sent this reply to them: “To Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their colleagues in Samaria and in other parts of the province that is west of the [Euphrates] River: I (send you my greetings/wish that things will go well for you).
Eze ahụ si otu a saa akwụkwọ ahụ, Ọ sịrị ha, Rehum onyeisi ọchịchị, na Shimshai ode akwụkwọ, na ndị otu ha bi na Sameria ruo nʼọdịda anyanwụ nke osimiri Yufretis. Ndeewonụ.
18 The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
Akwụkwọ ozi ahụ unu zitere anyị, agụọla ma tapịakwaa ya nʼihu m.
19 So then I ordered [my officials] to search the records. I have found out that [it is true that] the people of that city have always revolted against their rulers, and that the city is full of people who have rebelled and caused trouble.
Enyere m iwu ka e nyochaa chọpụta, e mere nyochaa, a chọpụtakwara ya nʼakwụkwọ na obodo a siterị nʼoge gara aga bụ obodo na-ebuli onwe ya megide ọtụtụ ndị eze, bụrụkwa ebe na-akpali nnupu isi na okwu na-eweta ọgbaaghara.
20 Powerful kings have ruled in Jerusalem, and they have also ruled over the whole province west of the [Euphrates] River. [The people in that province were] paying all kinds of taxes to those kings.
Jerusalem e nweela ụfọdụ ndị eze nke chịrị nʼIzrel, ndị dị ike a maara aha ha, ndị alaeze ha gbasara rute nʼosimiri Yufretis, ndị a na-atụkwara ụtụ dị iche iche.
21 So you must command that the people must stop rebuilding the city. Only if I tell them [that they may rebuild it] will they be allowed to continue.
Ugbu a, nye iwu ka ndị ikom ndị ahụ kwụsị ọrụ, ka a ghara iwuzi obodo a tutu ruo mgbe m ga-enye iwu.
22 Do this immediately [LIT], because I do not want those people to do anything to harm the things/area about which I am concerned.”
Lezienụ anya ka unu ghara i lepụrụ okwu a anya. Gịnị ga-eme ka a hapụ ihe iyi egwu a ka ọ gaa nʼihu, ime ka ihe jọrọ alaeze a njọ karịa?
23 [Messengers took] that letter to Rehum and Shimshai and their colleagues and read it to them. Then Rehum and the others went quickly to Jerusalem, and they forced the Jews to stop [rebuilding the city wall].
Ngwangwa a gụrụ akwụkwọ ozi si nʼaka eze Ataksekses, nye Rehum na Shimshai bụ ode akwụkwọ, na ndị otu ha, ha mere ọsịịsọ gakwuru ndị Juu na Jerusalem jiri ike kwagide ha ka ha kwụsị ịrụ ọrụ ahụ.
24 The result was that the Jews stopped rebuilding the temple. They did not do any more work to rebuild the temple until Darius became the King of Persia.
Ya mere, ha kwụsịrị ịrụ ọrụ nʼụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke na Jerusalem tutu ruo nʼafọ abụọ nke ọchịchị Daraiọs eze Peshịa.
